Crafty Steward or Converted Disciple?

This weekend we continue with the Gospel of Luke (16:1-13) and we hear a parable that is unique to the Lucan Gospel—that of the crafty steward who is caught by his master in his shady dealings and now must give a full accounting of his actions. “Yikes! I’ve been caught—how do I spin this now?!”

We should not hear in this gospel account that Jesus is endorsing illegal or shady deals. Absolutely not! But rather, Jesus is presenting this individual as the example of prudence in the face of a crisis. The Lord is telling us something that is worthy of emulation if we are to follow Him.

But before we come to Christ’s message, let’s look where we have been in the Gospel of Luke over the last few Sundays. Luke has presented to us that riches can be short-lived in our world. That the invitation to the wedding feast cannot be misplaced or discarded by the pressures and stresses of everyday life. He has told us that we must take up our own crosses and follow the Lord. That we must give up our possessions—not letting them define us so as to control us. That we most go after what is missing—a sheep, a coin, a lost brother or sister—and return them to God. That the Lord our God will spend everything to reach out and call us back to His Truths and His Life.

Back to the message of the Gospel: In this account the Lord is not endorsing illegal actions or shady deals, rather He is showing us a man who was imperfect in the past and now facing imminent disaster has “risen to the occasion” and saw the light. This steward reads the signs of the day and acts prudently. Just like those who wish to be Disciples of Christ, we too must look at the signs of the times and know what the costs are—what are the righteous and good things that need to be done in order to place me on the path to salvation—then act accordingly and prudently to follow the Lord.

The coming of the Kingdom of God will bring with it drastic situations—will we under-stand these and will we act in a prudent manner? For the ultimate salvation offered to us by God, will we act boldly? “You cannot serve both God and mammon,” says the Lord, and so we must choose prudently in our situations in desiring to reach Eternal Life.